sorry...another sharer thread!!

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catwithclaws

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Long story short, I'm moving yards at the end of this month and have just started looking for a sharer 2-3 days a week.

Is it normal:
- for me to want them to come and try MM more than once
- for me to want them to catch, groom and tack up MM themselves (within reason)
- for me to expect someone who says they are experienced to be able to put on a standard running martingale?
- to expect someone who says they are experienced to know how to put on a pair of brushing boots?

Because I've tried to find a sharer in the past whilst I was pregnant, and gave up because people can't even tack up!! Or pick feet out!! Or worse - DON'T BRING THEIR HAT AND STILL EXPECT TO RIDE!!! How do they think they are going to ride unsupervised if they can't tack up???

So... people on my current yard seem to think that the horse should be in, groomed and tacked up waiting. Is this right??
 
No its not your not providing a riding school service :eek: :rolleyes:

You would expect someone to be able to do their share of the chores (we always do it that on our days the horse is our responsibility that includes mucking out etc) that they can care and be responsible for your horse as well as ride.

No reason why you shouldn't expect that if thats what your advertising for. I always ask someone to show me how they do things and keep a note so that we are both singing from the same hymn sheet really for the benefit of the horse/pony.

Worth asking what their expectations are they maybe very different to yours especially if they are returning to riding after a long break. A lot has changed even in the short period of time that I stopped riding and having a horse of my own (never had insurance for starters) but you soon catch up and its worth investing that little bit of time in someone new.

I personally wouldn't expect to see a horse more than once for a trial but I would expect the owner to be around the first few times I had my days in case I needed help with anything.
 
Lots of people see sharing as a good step in between learning to ride and owning a horse so no I wouldn't necessarily expect them to be able to do everything.
I wouldn't however expect the horse to be in and ready to ride. I think I would help the sharer the first few times with catching and tacking up etc.
Even if you have previously owned a horse you might not know how to put on a piece of tack that your horse didn't need.
I started by sharin g and the owner and I tacked up together the first time - I did at least bring my hat however! I don't share my boy but I know others at the yard that do and that have had to loan their hats out for the first few rides until the sharer got one of their own - again they might be used to borrowing from a riding school.
Obv it is different if your horse is not suitable for people coming out of riding schools, however most of the sharers at my yard fit into that description.
x
 
thanks guys this is really helpful - I would always be around for the first few weeks to make sure people are comfortable - nothing worse than not knowing something and having nobody to ask :o

apart from a running martingale (which to be fair isn't really necessary, I use it as a neck strap when jumping cos I'm a wimp!) she has completely standard tack, a normal GP saddle and a flash bridle.

also, do you guys know if third party insurance covers a sharer to ride? or do they need to have their own riders insurance? MM is mostly a very sensible horsey but you just never know what would happen in todays litigious society if she decided to be naughty!
 
One of the sharers on my yard has to text the owner if she is hacking or jumping - this is something to do with insurance, i'm not sure what tho! I had my own rider insurance when I was a sharer - the owner did not insure the horse so this was what decided me.
Definately an important thing to consider, hope someone comes along with a more conclusive answer for you!x
 
my YO gives lessons on her schoolmaster and had a woman come who was saying all the right things about being experienced and wanting dressage lessons . we had the horse tacked up ready and once she was on -couldnt do her own stirrups etc so i asked how experienced she was cos the patent leather fashion boots she was riding in made me go :eek: .her answer was "im very experienced -ive been hacking twice! i can handle any horse":eek::eek::eek: my point is people who cant ride dont know they cant ride!!
 
I'm a sharer (I have my lovely boy 4 days a week) and this is the first time I've ever shared a horse, I cam straight out of a riding school so I was experienced in terms of riding, but not so much with the stable management/ caring for horses etc. I did work at a yard when I was younger, so thankfully most things came back to me - but I did need Wilbur's owner to show me the ropes and give me a refresher in terms of caring for him.

You should never be expected to have the horse ready to ride for your sharer, part of sharing is sharing the chores and if anyone comes to you unprepared to do anything other than ride well they have totally unrealistic ideas of what sharing is.

Part of the reason why I wanted to share is to get to look after a horse as well as ride, if I just wanted the riding well I would have stayed at my riding school and just had more lessons! I love all the grooming, mucking out etc, I take pride in caring for Wilbur and really enjoy that part of it. Yes I was a bit rusty at first, and needed to be shown a few things (which rug for the weather conditions mostly!) but I was fully prepared to be putting my share of the work in.

If someone shows up and they dont know how to do something, I wouldnt write them off as long as they show willing to learn - if you were willing to go along and help them out with the grooming/tacking up/mucking out etc the first few times that would really help someone who is new to sharing. But if they show no interest in the chores and only want to ride, I would turn them away and not let them near your horse, you need someone who wants to take good care of the horse and enjoy all aspects of sharing a horse, not just the riding. There are often times when you cant ride (bad weather, injuries etc) so they need to be prepared to not ride the horse but still go along on their days to do all the daily chores.

Dont give up on finding a sharer - it may take a while but someone will come along!
 
archiepoo said:
my point is people who cant ride dont know they cant ride!!
Click to expand...

That is so true, although it's never really occured to me before! Yes if they don't know horses but have ridden a dope once or twice, they could easily be convinced they CAN ride! Maybe people aren't as stupid as I first thought, they are just under-informed... then again... :rolleyes:
 
When I first started sharing I came from a riding school where I knew how to do basic tasks - muck out etc. The owner and YO were very helpful and I was lucky to have a girl my own age down there sharing another pony.

I would expect the sharer to know how to muck out, tack up etc. But wouldn't mind helping them at first with things like running martingales and boots.
 
A good thing to say if she really cant ride is that you think the horse is a bit too advanced for her and you wouldnt want to put her at risk by riding a horse like yours. Maybe make up a little white lie about some behaviour of MM (maybe she spooks, or can get very strong in canter etc) that would scare her off a bit.

If she really cant ride and MM is too good for her, then she will probably know it herself after she has ridden MM - she may get a bit scared if she feels out of her depth.
 
Not everyone uses a martingale or boots so maybe not 'expect' them to know all this. But this isnt rocket science to pick up and you showing them how to do it and then watch them do it the next time round would be a huge learning curve for both them and also you. It would demonstrate to you that they listened and that they took on board what it is they needed to do and can do it correctly.

I dont use boots or a martingale. Just saddle and bridle, but this is my personal choice. If someone was to show me how to attach and how tight ect then id be very grateful that someone gave me the chance and wasnt going to judge me on that.

But then everyone has to start somewhere and being shown is how people learn.

As for the other things you have listed, yes its perfectly reasonable for you to ask this of them.
 
thanks kc100 - MM is mostly pretty sensible but sometimes I just worry cos obviously I won't ALWAYS be there when they ride (luckily very busy yard so at least somebody would always be around) i can't say by any means that i'm some wonder rider cos i'm seriously not, but obviously I can't control MM when i'm not on her! lol

btw should I let her jump? the girl has expressed an interest in jumping but is this something I should let her do the first time do u think? MM is amazing to jump, never stops or spooks but can get quite keen at times :o
 
i think i would give them a little questionaire- with questions like what they expect to get out of the share, if they understand the jobs they will need to do , have they ever tacked a horse up. have they ever hacked out. are they prepared to get riders insurance. explain how much your expecting them to pay towards shoeing ect. tell them how your horse likes to be ridden -lots of leg -light contact etc ,see how they react and answer -it will give you an idea of their level of understanding. i know people need to learn but some need a lot more support and if you cant give that and need someone to just get on with it then you need to make that clear.
 
No, you shouldn't expect them to know how to put a running martingale on, maybe they are experience but have never had to use one? If they ask how to do a certain thing just show them! When I first started sharing I cam straight out a riding school and didnt know how to put a twist in the stirrup leather to make them shorter. Most simple thing ever but I had never had to do it before!! Dont look down on people just because they cant put some boots on. But yes, obviously if they cant ride then tell them your horse isn't suitable
 
My friend on our yard has 2 horses and 2 sharers and whilst she doesn’t leave them to their own devices to start with they are both at the stage now where when they do their days my friend does not go up there so they need to know what they are doing.

That was what she wanted out of sharing so that was the type of person she looked for. She did get an awful lot of people that wanted to use it as a learning curve which is fine if you are happy with that.

I guess it depends on why you are looking for a sharer and how much time you want to spend with them whilst they are with your horse.
 
I've always been told that when you're trying a horse, you should let the person showing it to you do most of the handling at least the first time you see it.
Every time I've been to try a share, the owner has caught the horse, tacked up and ridden first.
That said, I'd have been happy to visit them two or three times and in the last case paid them for a month with the understanding that it would be a trial period. In every case it's worked out well.
And seriously.... There are people in the world who can't figure out how to put a running martingale on???
 
No, definitely dont let her jump! I think you need at least a couple of months of flatwork before you can even think about jumping a horse, if you rush these things it will end in disaster.

With the horse I share, there is another girl who has Wilbur 2 days a week (its rather complicated but I have him 4 days, she has him 2 days and the owner has him 1 day per week). This other girl who rides him is very keen to do as much as possible on him, and from her 2nd ride onwards she has jumped him, and guess what - by about ride 4 she came flying off him and hurt herself. We both started the share at the same time, and I've not even thought about jumping him, he is an incredibly strong horse, very keen in canter and he needs a lot of work on the flat as he is very stiff due to back problems and artritis. I know from his owner that he is a good jumper, and I am looking forward to trying him out over some jumps, but that comes in time.

It is a bit different when you move from riding school horses to having a horse on share - with a riding school horse you are supervised and these horses know exactly what they are doing and will jump anything so they can get to the back of the ride. I'm sure she is keen to do some jumping, but she needs to understand that she needs to get to know MM first and take her time before she rushes into jumping otherwise she and MM could get hurt.

My other sharer has given up with the jumping now and is taking things slowly with Wilbur (as she should have done in the first place!), but it massively knocked her confidence and I noticed Wilbur wasnt himself either for a few days.

Your jumping is only ever as good as your flatwork, so she needs to learn the ropes on MM first, build the trust between them before she can think about jumping. If I were you I would encourage her to take things slow with MM and warn her that MM can get a bit excited when she jumps so you would prefer she took a few weeks at least of getting to know her before she starts jumping. If you know of any freelance instructors or trainers who come to your yard recommend them as well, I have just started lessons with Wilbur to try and improve both of us and I feel much more confident when I have an instructor around to keep an eye on both of us! We also have a great eventing and dressage trainer who comes to our yard and does jumping clinics every now and then, so I'm saving up to have a session with him when I think we are ready to try some jumps!

You know your horse better than anyone, so be firm with her and make sure she doesnt get too excited and goes gung-ho at everything, my other sharer learnt that lesson the hard way!
 
for me to want them to come and try MM more than once
- for me to want them to catch, groom and tack up MM themselves (within reason)
- for me to expect someone who says they are experienced to be able to put on a standard running martingale?
- to expect someone who says they are experienced to know how to put on a pair of brushing boots?

Yes,yes,yes, maybe not - sensible questions depending on type of fastenings and how tight are allowed.

Think its sensible for them to come at least twice and if possible for you to borrow a horse and ride out with them so you can observe how they cope outside.

Also I forgot my hat when i went to try a share, daft mistake left it at the front door so had to borrow one. Had it the next time though.
 
Ok guys, well it went ok-ish I think. The girl groomed and tacked up pretty much by herself so that was me a happy person for starters!

I got on and rode first, walk trot and canter, bit of extension and a bit of leg yield to get her focusing. MM was pretty keen and took a bit of a hold a couple of times, explained to the girl before she got on that she was keen, and to keep half halting and talking to her.

She rode reasonably well, but i did keep having to tell her to shorten her reins, as whenever MM got strong her hands would come up, her heels came up which made her tip forwards. MM was like yeeeeee-hah!!

I stayed in the school with her, talked her through stuff and MM did get better towards the end, though her head carriage was pretty giraffe-like.

My point is - the girl didn't seem overly worried by MM being strong, but I think I'd worry out hacking if she tipped forward - MM would be gone like a bat out of hell :/

Do I try and teach her? She seemed keen and was well aware of the commitment etc - or should I have seen her ride and thought 'oh yes' in the first place if she was the right one?

Got a couple of others coming too, so wait and see time I guess. Thanks to all u guys who gave me advice and help this morning :) have some biscuits
 
This is a difficult one - you obviously wouldnt want her to get hurt but then again she is going to have to learn how to adapt her riding to suit MM, we all have to learn how to adapt when we ride a new horse so with luck it probably would come in time. Take me for example - I was always given the strong horses at my riding school who would ride around with their necks on the floor, so I ended up being quite strong in my hands and arms and did end up with the habit of being a bit too strong with them to stop their necks heading south. Whereas Wilbur needs a very soft contact and his head and neck is always too high, but then again Wilbur's owner did tell me to ride him soft, with reins wide and I picked that up quickly. If you kept having to tell her to correct the same thing that would be a bit worrying.

I would see how it goes with the other people that come to see MM, see if any of them ride any better. You are unlikely to ever find someone who gets on MM for the first time and you think 'she's the one' as we all take time to get used to a new horse, but hopefully you should find someone who listens to your advice and picks it up quickly.

The girl who saw MM yesterday sounds pretty good though, if her only flaw was putting her heels up and having her reins too long then she might be a good choice, espcially if she was good at tacking up etc! Did she express an interest in having lessons? It might be a little odd if you were to teach her, but then again there wouldnt be any harm in asking her if she would like you to come along when she rides next to give her some tips on how to get MM going better.
 
I have always shared/loaned as I currently do not have the money to be able to afford my own.

I am more than happy to help out with the chores and I think the time you spend off the ground with the horse actually strengths your bond. I would never expect the horse to be tacked up and waiting for me and would want the owner to see me handle the horse.

When I went up to try the first horse I ever shared (she was amazing) I brought her in from the field, groomed her, tacked up and then rode. All this was done under supervision of the owner who wanted to see my capabilities. After a successful ride, the owner and I drew up an informal contract and she showed me where all the mucking out equipment, first aid equipment, rugs, feed etc were kept and arranged to take me out on a hack so I could learn the routes.

This is what I would expect whenever trying a new horse- there's no point being able to ride if you can't tack up or catch a horse!
 
I personally would say I have a couple of others to see and will be in contact. If she's the best, invite her back, watch her ride again and make a decison. If it was me and I decided on her, I would say no hacking for a few weeks until she is used to the mare, then on her first hack, go with her either on another horse or bike/foot.

ii would also insist she had lessons with my trainer (if you have one) or if not I would be giving her a 'weekly' lesson just to ensure she doesn't compromise your horses way of going long-term and it would also be nice for her to learn to ride your mare to the best of both of their abilities.
 
Re: Sharer having lessons from the owner - I found it brilliant!

My old share owners used to come up and teach me. She was an (older) vet student who had had her 14 year old TB from 8 months and broken him to event herself, and they had been pretty successful. She put him out to share as he was being wasted, and only wanted to ride him a couple of time a week, if that.

She loved popping up for an hour to give me a quick lesson. It meant he was being ridden consistently, and my riding was being improved on a school master. My confidence got a major boost. She would never take any money for it either. It also meant she could check he was being looked after properly (even though she never said this!)

I didn't find it weird at all and totally appreciated it. She was never patronising, just totally helpful and a brilliant instructor. She also left her trailer at the yard and would either take me to shows or let me have my uncle tow me anywhere I wanted to go.She trusted me 100% and gave me an oppertunity to compete and have a horsey lifestyle that I couldn't have afforded on my own.
 
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